ADT vs. Ring Alarm Review

As home security systems go, ADT and Ring Alarm could not be more different. ADT is the oldest name in home security. Everyone’s going to recognize the logo on your yard sign. Ring is more of a scrappy, start-up-turned-Amazon product. Ring: you install yourself. ADT: the professionals install for you.

The differences extend to the price too. ADT is expensive. Really expensive. Whereas Ring has the cheapest professional monitoring prices we’ve seen. From anyone. Ever.

Plus, ADT’s system has full smart home support and professionally installed equipment. This isn’t a DIY setup over here. Nah, the pros will do everything for you.

Plus, Ring still gives you cool tech features like Z-Wave support for all your smart home devices.

ADT is not for the budgetary faint of heart. It has the most expensive professional monitoring prices of any other alarm system we review. And it’s hard to say how much you’ll spend on equipment, for three reasons:

1. ADT doesn’t advertise its equipment prices anywhere. We can’t even tell you how much a basic starter kit costs because we don’t know. Every time we’ve asked, we’ve been told that “it depends.” So take that as you will.
2. ADT isn’t just a single company. It uses a network of third-party contractors and distributors, and those third-parties can have different pricing from ADT corporate.
3. You don’t actually know your final equipment price until the day your system gets installed. You can add or remove sensors and devices the day of, so the price won’t be final until you sign on the dotted line.

Suffice it to say, ADT is a bit complicated. And it has a few holdovers of traditional home security companies that we don’t love, like three-year contracts with hefty cancellation fees.

Ring’s system might be tech-forward, but it doesn’t always look it. Its security sensors are a bit clunky. For example, its door and window sensors are bigger than average so you’ll likely notice them more. (If you’re particularly worried about aesthetics, we recommend Nest Secure instead.)

There’s also the issue of Ring’s cameras. Ring makes some pretty great cameras, actually. They’re way better than ADT’s. But there have been some huge security concerns with Ring cameras lately that make us reluctant to recommend them.^1,2

If you want a reliable, professionally installed security system with tech-forward features (and you don’t mind paying extra for it), then ADT is a solid choice. If you want a budget-friendly security system with simple equipment but good smart home support, then Ring Alarm will be kind to your wallet.

Want to compare some other home security options? Check out our other reviews.

• ADT review
• ADT Command review
• Ring Alarm Review
• ADT vs. Frontpoint
• ADT vs. Xfinity Home
• ADT vs Cox

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